The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-10


"Pm going to keep it secret" she re-
solved. Aud although papa and others
noticed that Elsie was very good little
girl, no one ever guessed that she was
queen. She looked often at the picture
of little Mercedes, and pleased herself in
wondering how the little Spanish queen
would behave in such and such circum-
stances; il she were always kind and low
ing to her little sister, and il she always
did what she was told without pouting or
scolding. She hoped the little queen had
plenty about her who loved her very ten
derby, and would try to make her good
and happy. But she herself grew SO well
contented with her little secret pretense
of royalty as to cease TO wish to be real
ly truly queen. She adopted quaint
dainty little ways of courtesy, which
often brought smile to the face of those
who observed them. And when her uncle
took off his hat to her in the street-and
she such little bit OF girll-and papa
said, patting her head fondly, "You are a
very we'll behaved little lassie," she
said to herself: TT is as nice being bowed
to as the real queens are"
"We're going to look for wild flowers.
Come, Elsie, we want you to go, too.
We're going by the river road and up
Grassy lane r
A merry troop Of little girls it was
which called for Elsie, and she had soon
joined it, as merry as the merriest.
"Be careful not to get into any dan
GER" her mother cautioned as they set
out
Grassy lane led along piece OF woods
in which, in places where the tangle OF
underbrush was not too thick, everything
delightful in the way of wild wood treas
ure might be found in it's season. He
paticas and anemones, and bloodroots
we're gone, but the pretty blue violets
we're to be found on every hand for the
slight trouble of brushing aside last au-
tumn's dead leaves. A few wske-robins
there were too, and Lucy, the Oldest of
the party, made a wreath in which the
delicate green of the spring foliage set
off the dark rich coloring Of the flowers
go well that every one of the little party
went into raptures over the pretty thing.
"Who is going to wear it, Lucy?" they
clamored.
at don't know. Yes, whichever of you
can say the incest piece Of poetry"
All tried their best.
at must be either Mabel or Elsie"
decided Lucy, shut can't choose be-
tween them"
A vote was taken by raising hands, and
Elsie had one vote the most.
at really is like being a queen" she
said to herself as Lucy came and put the
crown on her head. But as she caught
sight of Mabel's disappointed face, some
thing which her mother had said came to
her mind-s something about the things
which are more powerful than crowns or
thrones or scepters.
"Mabel's piece was the longest" she
said, sand I'm sure she ought to have
the wreath"
She placed it on Mabeps head.
"You are as pretty without a crown,
Elsie, as any one else is with one,' said
Lucy.
Going home by the river road, they
stopped to watch the huge saws working
up and down in the mill. and little fur
Their on went down the high sloping bank
to sail chip boats in the water.
"Let's get into this boat and play
we're all gone on steamboat picnic"
said Mabel.
"Perhaps we'd better not" said Lucy.
But nearly all the others got in.
"There can't be any danger" they de-
clared, the boats tied"
So Lucy also go in, calling Elsie to
follow. But Elsie felt doubtful and
would not be persuaded.
While the party in the boat tried with
sticks to push it about as far as the rope
would allow, she walked little way to
spring she had visited last autumn, and
looked about for a little frog she had
seen there. She was poking among the
stones in search of him, when she heard
a cry from the boat and sprang up in
alarm. 1t had become loosened and was
drifting out from the shore into the rapid
current which led to the dam, over which
the waters dashed and foamed an eighth
of mile below.
Elsie saw it all in one glance. What
could she do? No one was nearer than the
mill, and in it's roar no one could hear
the screams of the frightened children.
With cry of despair she ran along the
bank in the forlorn hope OF finding help
in time.
Just above the mill was a breskwater
of solid stone, between which and the
shore was very narrow passage.way
which the boys had built, on which to
pass over when they went out to fish
from the breakwater. She half paused
at sight of it. The boat was moving ex-
actly toward it. II she were out on
those stones, there would be a bare
chance Of stopping it until help might
come. But how could she 60 out on
those shaking planks. But as she glanced
again at the boat, how could she not do